Chapter 103 Mutual Impeachment

At this time, in the Western Capital of the Great Xing Kingdom, Councilor Qian, feeling somewhat dejected, went to seek out Crown Prince Zhao Degou. However, he was filled with trepidation.

Previously, after signing a cooperation agreement with Kaba Dur and his associates, Qian had believed he could play both sides—the Ome Empire of the Dinosaur-men and what he perceived as the god of the Ganduo tribe—and that he could even replace the Emperor of Great Xing whenever he wished. Consequently, although he maintained a show of support for the Crown Prince for strategic reasons, he had been far less active in his efforts. Now, however, the Ome Empire had turned cold toward him, leaving him in a difficult position. Having to swallow his pride to ask the Crown Prince for help made him feel utterly wretched.

To his surprise, Crown Prince Zhao Degou did not seem to mind the recent neglect. When Qian arrived, the Prince immediately greeted him and personally led him into the residence, saying warmly:

"Oh, my dear Councilor, you have finally come! I have been longing for you as one longs for the stars and the moon."

Qian was stunned and replied with some embarrassment:

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Highness. I have truly been occupied with matters recently..."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Degou interrupted him:

"Enough, let us not dwell on it. You have been busy, I know. I understand that the Councilor has been running about to ensure that we may share the world together, have you not?"

Qian said nervously:

"No, no, no. I only wish to assist the Crown Prince; I have no other..."

Zhao Degou cut him off again:

"Enough, come, come. Let us speak in the parlor. Someone, prepare..."

Afterward, Qian followed the Crown Prince into the parlor. Following some polite formalities, Qian steered the conversation to the main topic:

"Your Highness, regarding the events at the banquet last night, what do you think...?"

Zhao Degou replied:

"I understand. That Zhang Desen has built a private retinue like this; it is clearly an act of rebellion."

"Exactly. That is why, Your Highness, I have come..."

Zhao Degou interrupted:

"You want me to cooperate in making some concessions to my second younger brother and that Zhang Chengwei, so they do not press the issue and cause us further trouble, right?"

Qian was taken aback and said anxiously:

"Precisely, precisely. Your Highness is wise."

Zhao Degou said:

"Do not worry. Since we are one, I will naturally help you. What are these minor concessions? In the future, everything will be ours. You may rest assured."

Qian then added:

"However, Your Highness, that Zhang Desen cannot be allowed to remain. He is growing so rapidly that he will surely be a future threat. Remember, it was because of him that Feng Yucai turned to that old bastard Zhang Chengwei."

Zhao Degou replied:

"I am aware. The Second Prince’s influence has swelled, and it is all because of him. I must make him disappear forever; only then can I suppress my brother’s momentum."

Qian suggested:

"Perhaps..."

But Zhao Degou cut him off:

"You need not worry about this. Just attend to your own affairs. I have spent a great sum to hire a master from the East, and Zhang Desen will be gone soon enough."

Excited, Qian replied:

"Excellent! Once Zhang Desen is gone, I will make sure that Zhang Chengwei never rises again."

The two then discussed the specific details of their coordination. Afterward, Zhao Degou went to find his brother, Zhao Feizhou, while Qian returned home to gather gifts to take to Prime Minister Zhang Chengwei.

Shortly after, Prime Minister Zhang Chengwei returned to his manor. Before he could even sit down to rest, a guard reported:

"Prime Minister, Councilor Qian is outside, requesting an audience."

Zhang Chengwei paused and asked:

"What? Say that again?"

The guard repeated the request. After a moment of thought, Zhang said:

"Tell him to wait in the parlor. Say I will be there shortly."

"Yes!"

The guard left. Zhang Chengwei was not idle; although he suspected what Qian wanted, he felt he should be on his guard. After a brief reflection, he went to the parlor to meet the Councilor.

Seeing Zhang enter, Qian said with feigned joy:

"Oh, my dear Prime Minister, you have finally deigned to see me! We are old friends of long standing, after all."

Qian’s behavior made his own attendants feel uneasy, while Zhang’s guards found it laughable. Everyone knew that the two were bitter rivals; seeing Qian act this way was like seeing the sun rise in the west.

Zhang Chengwei, however, played along:

"It is an honor that an old friend remembers me!"

"The honor is mine. After working together for so long, I simply wanted to pour out my heart to an old friend. This is a rare blessing in life."

"I feel the same. I was nearly on the verge of seeking you out to do the same."

...

As they continued, both became overly invested in the performance. Eventually, they both paused, realizing they had gone too far. Internally, each cursed: "Damn it, that was too much. Why have we wasted so much time on such nonsense?"

With a rare, unspoken mutual understanding, they sat down to address the real issues. Their attendants found the scene comical but dared not laugh, struggling to keep straight faces.

After the formalities, Qian began:

"Prime Minister, I have come today to discuss a matter with you."

Zhang Chengwei replied:

"Are you referring to the matter brought up by General Feng?"

Qian said:

"The Prime Minister is indeed wise; dealing with a clever man is always convenient. However, I have brought a generous gift this time."

Zhang said:

"Let’s hear it."

Qian produced a thick stack of documents and said:

"These are deeds for half of my land holdings. Furthermore, I can have my protégés resign from the Department of Revenue. What do you think?"

Before they could continue, a booming, resonant voice echoed from outside:

"You shameless wretch, you have absolutely no integrity!!!"

Both men were startled and looked toward the entrance. A guard stood there looking nervous, and the one who had spoken was General Feng Yucai.

Zhang Chengwei and Qian realized at once that the General had forced his way in. Zhang waved for the guard to leave, who did so with relief.

Before Zhang or Qian could speak, Feng roared again:

"Prime Minister, setting aside your personal grievances with Councilor Qian, do you really intend to watch him harm the nation for his own selfish gain?"

In truth, General Feng had been dissatisfied with Zhang Chengwei for failing to stop Qian’s son from participating in the military campaign. That was why he had monitored the young man’s actions, leading to the discovery of the problem. He then turned to Qian:

"Councilor, I was already displeased with you, but I did not expect you to become even more brazen. You show no initiative for national affairs, yet you beg your enemy for help just to cover up for your family."

Qian was incensed:

"My actions are not for General Feng to judge. Did you not once disdain to associate with us? Why are you here now?"

Feng retorted:

"At the very least, my conscience is clear. Can you say the same, Councilor?"

Qian replied:

"I am acting for my son, and my conscience is clear. Any parent would do the same; I am merely fulfilling my duties as a father."

Feng said:

"I have never seen such a shameless man. I shall see just how far your shamelessness goes. You will not meet a good end."

Qian had hoped to persuade the Prime Minister but found everything ruined by Feng’s arrival. He said:

"The outcome remains to be seen."

He then turned to Zhang Chengwei:

"Since the Prime Minister has a distinguished guest, I shall take my leave and we can discuss this another time."

He walked out of the manor, and Zhang, not bothering to stop him, had him escorted out.

Afterward, Feng Yucai stated his purpose directly: for the sake of the nation, the truth must be revealed. Zhang Chengwei did not object, pledging his commitment to the country, and Feng took his leave.

Feng also reiterated his request for Zhang Desen to receive military training, which Zhang Chengwei did not refuse, stating only that he had to handle current affairs first. Feng expressed his full support.

Later, Councilor Qian did not return, primarily because the Second Prince had rejected the Crown Prince’s request, making further visits unnecessary.

Crucially, the imperial envoys were dispatched. Two were sent: one from Zhang Chengwei’s faction, and another, a newly appointed official who belonged to no faction, serving as a neutral party.

Meanwhile, the man sent by Qian rode at breakneck speed for half a month and finally found the young Qian, who had been busy playing. He also encountered Feng Qiwei and Wu Dong, who had retreated in defeat from the Shu-Chuan Kingdom, which filled him with a sense of impending disaster.

The primitive Dinosaur-men had initially been caught off guard by the tactics of Feng and Wu, allowing them to achieve a few miraculous victories. However, as the Dinosaur-men continuously reinforced their numbers, the disparity in strength became insurmountable, forcing the commanders to retreat.

Fortunately, for reasons unknown, the Dinosaur-men did not pursue them into Badong County, stabilizing the situation for the time being. However, the relationship between Feng Qiwei and Wu Dong—who represented Councilor Qian—had deteriorated further, leading to mutual accusations and memorials submitted to the throne.

Hearing that an envoy from Councilor Qian had arrived, Wu Dong told his men to maintain a careful watch while he went to greet the messenger.